Ship&#39;s-log apparatus.



T. S. WALKER.

SHIP'S LOG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1911. 1,019,566. Patented Mar.5, 1912.

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T S WALKER SHIPS LOG APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1911. 1,019,5 Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

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THOMAS SYDNEY WALKER, 0F BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

SHIPS-LOG APPARATUS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS SYDNEY WALKER, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 58 Oxford street, Birmingham, in the county of lVarwick, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ships-Log Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ships log apparatus of the type in which the revolutions of a rotator in the water are transmitted by means of a rotating tow line to the registering apparatus, and the invention has for its general object an improved construction and arrangement of such apparatus whereby to promote efficiency and to render same less susceptible to derangement than apparatus as construct ed and arranged at present.

According to the invention a flywheel governor is mounted upon a shaft supported in ball bearings located on both sides of the governor, the whole (with or without an inclosing casing) being supported upon trunnions.

The suspension of a ships log by means of a spar or boom projecting over the side of the vessel, and the mounting of a ships log in gimbals upon the taffrail, are not new and no broad claim is made to either of such arrangements.

The flywheel governor may be located intermediate of and co-axially with the primary or first-motion spindle (actuated by the rotator) and the second-motion spindle or first moving member of the log mechanism; the governor being supported upon an independent shaft, mounted in ball bearings as described and connected by a clutch or otherwise suitably to said primary spindle and said second-motion spindle respectively. The primary spindle, governor and log mechanism maybe all contained in a single inclosed casing supported upon trunnions in a sling so that when the log is slung overboard for the purpose of reducing the length of the rotator towing line the governor may be protected from the deranging effects of rough seas. When slung overboard a tie line may be employed, one end of which is made fast to the vessel, forward of the log, and the opposite end of which is pivotally at- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. January 20, 1911.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

Serial No. 603,739.

tached to the head or apex of the sling whereby the log is enabled to accommodate itself to the direction of the pull of the towing line.

In order that correct operation of the log mechanism may be insured, it is of great lmportance that the rotator should be kept properly submerged, so that inaccurate records due to the irregular operation of the rotator may not occur. For this purpose a short towing line is employed, and in order to keep the rotator properly submerged, the rotator is constructed heavier and of greater length than usual.

The weight of the body of an exceptionally heavy rotator is a disadvantage during manufacture, interfering with the facility of handling and with the accuracy necessary to the proper adjustment of the rotator. in order to increase the facility of handling and of adjustment during manufacture, the vanes, instead of being fixed directly to the cylindrical body of the rotator, may be attached in the usual manner to a separate cylindrical tube adapted to be slid onto said body of the rotator to which it may be secured in such manner that the body and said tube with its vanes rotate together as a whole. This tube may be slotted for the reception of the vanes, but the slots do not penetrate the inner part or body of the rotator. Or the same may be secured to said tube in any other suitable manner.

When an inclosed casing is employed, the log mechanism may comprise the whole of the wheelwork of the register together with a dial and with or without electrical or mechanical means for transmitting records to further registers on board ship, or said log mechanism may be limited to the parts necessary for transmitting records to registers situated apart on the ship.

One form of the invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, partly in elevation, certain parts of the mechanism, for instance, the contact mechanism whereby the revolutions of the rotator are transmitted electrically to the registering or recording apparatus, being omitted since said mechanism forms no part of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a side view showing a ships log apparatus slung overboard from a vessel. Fig. f is a side view of a rotator before the whole is assembled, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a complete rotator. Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a is a flywheel governor located intermediate of and co-axially with the primary or first-motion spindle b and the second-motion spindle c of the log mechanism. At its outer extremity the primary spindle b is provided with the usual eye (Z whereby the towing line 6 (Fig. 3) may be attached in any suitable manner so as to transmit the revolutions of the rotator f (Figs. 3 and 5) to said primary spindle Z2, and, through the fly-wheel governor a to the log mechanism. The governor a is supported upon an independent shaft 9, mounted in ball bearings h and j situated on both sides of said governor and said shaft 9 is connected rotatably by suitable clutch connections is and Z to the primary spindle b and secondmotion spindle 0 respectively. The governor a, primary spindle b and log mechanism (not shown) may be all contained within a single inclosed casing m, closed at the primary spindle end by means of a suitable watertight cap n and at the opposite or log mechanism end by means of a flanged cover plate 0 and leather or rubber washer p. If desired the casing m, may, for facility in manufacture as well as assemblage of the parts, be subdivided into two compartments as shown in Fig. 1, bolted together.

9 is a gland through which an electric conductor 1", or other suitable means, may be led in order to transmit a record of the revolutions of the rotator to the recording or registering apparatus.

8, s, s, are caps which close suitably arranged apertures for the introduction of lubricant to the various rotating parts within the casing m. Preferably the casing m is supported by means of trunnions t, t, in a sling 10 provided at its apex with an eye '0 for the attachment of a line 10 (Fig. 3) so that when the log is slung overboard for the purpose of reducing the length of the towing line 6 the governor a may be protected from the deranging effects of rough seas by means of the swivel suspension of the log. When thus slung overboard, as shown in Fig. 3, from a spar w, or otherwise suitably, a tie line 2 may be employed, one end of which is made fast to the vessel, forward of the log, at a point not shown in Fig. 3, and the opposite end of which is fastened to an eyebolt 3 (see Figs. l and 2) pivotally attached by means of a pin 2 in a slot in the head or apex of the sling u by means of which the log is enabled to place itself co-axially with the towing line 6 and can thus accommodate itself to the direction of the pull of the towing line, which under certain conditions will be variable, as is well understood.

The rotator employed with the above described log is, owing to the shortness of the towing line, of an exceptionally heavy nature, and in order to facilitate the handling and adjusting of this rotator during manufacture, the body portion 3 of the rotator (Fig. 4) is completed and hermetically sealed, and the tubular'member 4:, slotted to receive the vanes 5, 5, 5, which are secured thereto by soldering or otherwise suitably, is slid over said body portion 3 up to the shoulder 6 (Fig. 5) and is soldered in position, after which the end cap 7 is affixed, there being no break in the continuity of the outer surface of the rotator when the parts are all assembled. By means of this construction of rotator, not only may a rotator be more easily handled when adjusting during manufacture and without liability of damage to the vanes if dropped, but should the vanes require renewal they may be removed and replaced with great facility and without affecting the watertightness of the body portion of the rotator.

What I claim is 1. A ships log comprising, in combination, log mechanism, a fly-wheel governor, a shaft for said governor connected to said mechanism, ball bearings supporting said shaft on both sides of said governor, a casing inclosing said mechanism and said governor and shaft, means to rotate said shaft to actuate said mechanism, and means for supporting said casing universally whereby the log may accommodate itself to canges in the direction of the course of the s 1p.

2. A ships log comprising, in combination, log mechanism, a fly-wheel governor, a horizontally disposed shaft for said governor connected to said mechanism, ball bearings supporting said shaft and located on both sides of said governor, a casing inclosing said mechanism and said governor and shaft, means to rotate said shaft to actuate said mechanism, trunnions upon said inclosing casing, and means for supporting said casing universally whereby the log may accommodate itself to changes in the direction of the course of the ship.

3. A ships log comprising, in combination, log mechanism, a fly-wheel governor,

a horizontally disposed shaft for said governor connected with said mechanism, ball bearings supporting said horizontal shaft and located on both sides of said governor, a primary spindle connected to said governor shaft, a casing inclosing said mechanism and said governor and governor shaft, a towing line connected to said primany spindle, a rotator to rotate same for In testimony whereof I have hereunto set actuating sald governor and sald meehamy hand 1n presence of tWo subscribing WitnlsIn trunnions upon said lncloslng casing, nesses.

a sling engaging said trunnlons, and means THOMAS SYDNEY WALKER. for suspending the sling whereby the log Witnesses:

may accommodate itself to changes in the ETHEL M. WEBB,

direction of the course of the ship. ERNEST HARPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

